USA > Iowa > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
June 30-J. H. Colclo has laid the foundation of a fine two-story build- ing on the corner of Sixth and Adams streets. When completed it will be used as a hotel.
Last night Bill Preston, after imbibing his customary amount of booze and becoming comfortably drunk, as usual went to the Iowa house and got into a difficulty with the proprietor, during which the porter drew a re- volver and shot him, the bullet taking effect in the right arm near the shoulder. The wound was not serious.
August 21-A posse of night riders called George Anamosa, of Union township, out of his house, put a rope around his neck, and draged him out on the prairie, where they left him, and where he remained till daylight. The reason assigned was inhuman treatment towards his wife. Anamosa,
86
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
the victim of the visitation, is an old man and of so bad a character that no community would consider him a desirable acquisition. He formerly lived in Carroll and was under arrest many times for various offences. He is quarrelsome and when angry liable to be ugly. Once he beat a horse nearly to death. Saturday, the 21st, Anamosa reappeared in Carroll and told a sorrowful story. He said the night before several men came to his house and called him out to show them the road to Coon Rapids, when a rope was thrown around his neck and he was dragged out on the prairie. He says he called some of them by name, and he was threatened with death if he revealed their identity. Anamosa swore out warrants against Graves, Kennedy, Smith and Morris, but his identification was doubtful, the evi- dence against the accused consisting entirely of the story told by Anamosa himself. They all claim an alibi. There is no doubt that Anamosa was roughly dealt with. His neck plainly bore the marks of a rope, and it is probable those who committed the attack were not very particular whether they killed him or not. The cause of the mobbing were the pitiful stories of Mrs. Anamosa concerning her husband's abuse.
September 3-The Republican senatorial convention for the Forty- ninth district met at Carroll, Friday, September 3d. Col. S. D. Nichols, of Guthrie county ; J. A. Henderson, of Greene county, and H. C. Laub, of Crawford county, were placed in nomination. Ten ballots were taken with- out result, when the convention adjourned until the following day. On the evening of that day the convention cast its ninety-eighth ballot, when Crawford county withdrew Mr. Laub and cast her four votes for Col. S. D. Nichols, giving him a majority. The district consists of Greene, Guthrie, Carroll, Audubon, and Shelby counties.
October 10-The canvass of the vote of Carroll county at the late elec- tion shows a republican majority of thirty-six in the state ticket. O. H. Manning was elected representative. The result in the county was as fol- lows: P. M. Guthrie, treasurer; E. M. Betzer, auditor; F. M. Bechler, sheriff ; C. I. Hinman, superintendent of schools; D. Wayne, coroner ; D. Cooper and P. Berger, supervisors. The vote on surveyor between L. Mc- Curdy (Dem.) and L. C. Bailey (Rep.) was a tie. In Kniest township E. M. Betzer (Rep.) received seventy-one votes, against forty-four votes for E. S. Holliday.
Note .- This is the first and last time in the history of the county that Kniest township returned a majority for a republican candidate.
November 17-The first Presbyterian church was dedicated the 14th inst. The church was organized in the year 1868 and incorporated July 4, 1873. At the time J. E. Griffith, M. A. Hoyt, Wm. Gilley, J. L. Green and E. R. Hastings were chosen a board of trustees. The same has continued, with the exception of Wm. Gilley, who resigned, and he is succeeded by E. H. Brooks. The church now has a membership of thirty. The lot was purchased April Ist, and on the 28th of the same month a contract for the building was let. The building is the largest of its class in town. It is 30x52 in size, with a recess back of the pulpit of five feet for the choir. The building cost as completed $2,695. It is brick with stone
87
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
foundation. The dedication services were conducted by Rev. Throop of Marshalltown, who preached the sermon. Assisting him were Revs. Mr. Parker, J. M. Phillips, J. C. Eckels and J. C. Dunning. After the sermon a debt of $600 was subscribed before the final services of dedication were conferred. The Marshalltown church made the new organization a gift of two chandeliers and a number of side lamps of the value of $100.
1876.
January I-There are now three Masonic lodges in the county-Signet lodge, No. 264, Carroll; Wm. Lynch, W. M .; Haggai lodge, Glidden, P. H. Hankins, W. M .; Cope Stone chapter, No. 78, Glidden, P. H. Hankins, H. P. There are three Odd Fellow societies-Carroll lodge, No. 279, Carroll, W. A. Moore, N. G .; Filo lodge, No. 291, Glidden, Geo. Ferguson, N. G .; Ellsworth Canton, No. 72, Carroll, S. P. Moore, C. P. There are two Good Templar lodges in the county-Carroll lodge, No. 618, and Arcadia lodge, No. 3.
February 16-As a result of a $1,000 bonus subscribed by citizens of Carroll a year ago, a new steam mill is now ready for operation. The sub- scription was first made in favor of Des Moines parties, but when they failed to appear it was turned over to Breed & Baumhover, who agreed to put up a brick mill and have it running by February of this year. The building is of brick, the main part two stories with basement. It is sixty feet long by forty feet wide. On the south is a one-story addition, con- taining the boiler and engine. Henry Baumhover, one of the proprietors, is in immediate charge of the business of the mill, and J. C. Hartman, for- merly of Dyersville, is head miller and general manager. I. B. Ebberly is engineer. The mill was erected at an expense of $26,000. It is now run- ning on merchant work, with selected wheat raised on Mr. Baumhover's land year before last, and is turning out an excellent grade of flour. The wheat last year was not fit for milling.
March 6-After a most exciting city election at which 221 votes were cast, E. H. Brooks was elected mayor by a majority of one over Wm. Gilley. Two ballots were rejected. The candidates were tied at 109 and the last ballot counted decided the contest. Mr. Brooks was elected by the Granger-labor vote. The other offices were filled as follows: A. E. Smith, recorder ; J. W. King, assessor ; John Silbaugh, street commissioner ; B. W. Crabbs, marshal. R. J. Hamilton, J. R. Lowry, W. L. Culbertson, W. A. Moore, Joseph Wieland, and W. J. Scott were elected to the council. Total vote cast was an increase of fifty-four over one year ago.
April 2-Five inches of snow fell on Sunday, April 2d.
April 26-The Presbyterian church has extended a call to Rev. Ellfield of Freeport, Ill. Rev. J. Manning is pastor of the Methodist church and Rev. Palmer of the Congregational.
May 27-Francis Murphy, the great temperance advocate, was in Car- roll for three days this week. His labors met with abundant regard. A temperance reform club, with Mayor E. H. Brooks as president, was
88
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
organized and will hold meetings in the future, with a membership of forty. Fifteen or twenty persons signed the pledge as the result of the Murphy meetings.
June 4-A fast train from New York to San Francisco passed through this morning at eight o'clock, ten minutes ahead of time. It left New York yesterday morning and its trip was by many hours the fastest ever made. The passengers numbered about twenty, among whom was Lawrence Bar- rett, the tragedian, who is to commence an engagement in Shakespeare's "Henry the VIII" Monday evening at San Francisco. The transcontinental trip was made in twenty-six minutes less than eighty-four hours.
June 7-At the republican judicial convention at Council Bluffs on the 7th inst. the delegations from Carroll, Crawford and Greene counties walked out after the nomination of Judge Loofborough, of Cass, for circuit judge, and A. R. Anderson, of Fremont county, for district attorney. Judge J. R. Reed was renominated for the district court. The majority of the conven- tion adopted a rule by which only delegates present in person were allowed to vote. Only part of the delegation from the three counties previously mentioned was present and in this way Loofborough and Anderson were forced through. The seceding delegations recommended a bolt.
July 18-Wheat is generally light, especially on new ground where the dry weather injured it. Corn is backward, but promises a fair crop. Barley will be the best crop of the year. From present appearances the crop may be called fair.
July 19-Mr. John Nockels, of Ft. Atkinson, Iowa, has rented the build- ing occupied by the Hatton drug store and will shortly place in it a stock of men's goods.
Note .- Mr. Nockels has remained continuously in business up to the present time, being associated in later years with his sons, Frank L. and John Nockels, Jr. He is the only merchant of this early period who has continued uninterruptedly in the business which he established.
July 24-This morning a party of ten men under the supervision of J. E. Ainsworth, a practical engineer, left Carroll to commence the survey for a branch railroad joining the main line of the Northwestern five miles west of Carroll. They will run two lines from that point to Ida Grove. One of these will run on the section line between Kniest and Wheatland townships to Wall Lake and thence to Ida Grove. The other will cross Wheatland township to the northwest corner and thence on to Ida Grove. The Iowa Railroad Land company is back of the project.
August 30-Friday the 29th, about noon, grasshoppers made their ap- pearance in the county, but did not remain long before taking flight for the north. A week later they came down thicker than ever, but many of them were blown away in the winds. Corn has suffered to some extent, but not seriously. Small tracts have been damaged most. On large pieces they have principally confined their ravages to the outside rows, leaving the rest uninjured to any great extent. The damage to the crop will prob- ably amount to about ten per cent.
BURKE'S HOTEL, CARROLL
-
GERMAN BANK, CARROLL
89
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
September 27-That Maple Valley railroad will be built is a settled fact. The capital stock of the corporation is $1,000,000. John 1. Blair is at the head of the board of directors. The general office of the company will be at Cedar Rapids and the engineer's office at Carroll. The surveyors have reached Wm. Arts' farm in Wheatland township and the grading has been contracted for that distance. In the matter of the contracts, the com- pany has decided to give the grading to local contractors and farmers along the route.
October 25-The republican county convention nominated the follow- ing ticket: Recorder, John Messersmith; supervisor (long term), W. L. Culbertson : (short term), Thos. N. Young. Candidates of the democratic convention : Clerk, Wm. Lynch, Jr. ; recorder, W. T. Krause ; supervisor (long term), P. Floyd; (short term), Joseph Bucheit.
November 8-The republican county ticket was elected and Win. Lynch, Jr. (dem., no opposition), for clerk of court ; E. A. Aylesworth in opposi- tion to C. F. Loofborough, for judge, carried the county by three hundred ; and R. G. Phelps, for district attorney, in opposition to A. R. Anderson, carried the county by 692 votes. On the presidential ticket the county re- turns a republican majority of 28 votes, in a total vote of 1,570, of which the electoral ticket of R. B. Hayes received 799; Samuel J. Tilden, 779.
November II-The Methodist conference at Red Oak assigned J. C. Eckels to Carroll, O. Scott to Carrollton, and C. W. Posten to Glidden.
December 6-On the night of the Ist inst., a shooting affray occurred in Hillsdale, seven miles southwest of Carroll. The Germans were having a dance in the saloon run by John Hannasch when a man named Vic Schwaller got into trouble by insisting upon dancing without paying for the privilege. On being ordered out Schwaller drew a revolver and com- inenced shooting. The first shot did not take effect, but the second carried off a portion of the thumb of a bystander, whose name is Leubs. Frank Hoelker then grappled with Schwaller and undertook to take the revolver from him when Schwaller fired and the ball entered his body and passed through within an inch or two of the heart. Hoelker captured the revolver and ran into the house before it was known he was shot. The sheriff went to the scene and arrested Schwaller. The parties to the shooting are both young men, hardly more than boys. Holker is twenty-one and Schwaller eighteen.
[Note .- Hoelker survived several months but died at length from the effect of his wound. Schwaller was indicted for murder in the second de- gree but was acquitted by the jury on the grounds of self defense. ]
December 20-The Bank of Carroll, with W. L. Culbertson as presi- dent, has organized to begin business the first of the year.
Cyrus Mark, successor in business to J. J. Wieland, has rented the Sutton building and will open a stock of general merchandise.
90
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
1877.
March 5-The city election resulted: Mayor, J. F. Tuttle; recorder, A. E. Smith; assessor, John W. King; council, Wm. Arts, W. J. Bohnen- kamp, W. O. Sturgeon, R. J. Hamilton, John AcAllister and John Ringer.
March 28-Many citizens of Carroll county met at the courthouse to consider the grasshopper question. Wm. Gilley was elected president and S. C. Quint, secretary. The general purpose was to formulate a plan for systematic working all over the county in fighting the pest. Machines have been constructed for the destruction of the hoppers, but no one present could vouch for their efficiency. Resolutions were passed recommending the people of the county to form school district and township organizations for the purpose of exterminating the pest. Pleasant Valley township has already been thoroughly organized in accordance with this plan. They have resolved to prevent the burning of the prairies until such time when it will kill the most grasshoppers. Washington Allen of Sac county, has invented a machine for catching the hoppers. It consists of a long box on low runners or a sled to be drawn by two horses. In front sloping down to the ground is an apron upon which the hoppers will alight when they are scared up from the ground and from that they are carried to the back part of the machine where they fall through sloping holes into a box. They are then stupefied by throwing cold water on them and are shoveled out and burned. Mr. Allen has applied for a patent on this machine.
April 1-On the first of April the postoffice at Carroll was changed from a fourth to a third class postoffice. E. R. Hastings has been com- missioned by President Hayes to the postmastership, and the office has been placed on a salary basis.
April 4-E. F. Dennett, the pioneer hardware man in this county, has sold his stores at Carroll and Arcadia to R. E. Coburn, who will operate them in the future.
April 20-Dr. A. L. Wright has been chosen by the State Medical asso- ciation, one of the three delegates to represent the Ninth Congressional district of Iowa, at the coming annual medical convention at Chicago.
June 13-The war for the extermination of the grasshoppers continues with energy. The stocks of both sheet iron and oil have now ran out and more has been ordered by telegraph. All who have used machines for catching the pests report great success. During the past week thousands of bushels of grasshoppers have been destroyed and farmers are sanguine that the fight will save their crops.
July 12-From the 2d to the 12th of this month seven deaths from diphtheria have occurred in the home of Wm. Wall. The number includes all of the children of the family.
July 25-For the past few days the hoppers have been flying over in immense numbers and occasionally lighting. Spots are to be found in which they have ruined the crops wholly or in part, but by far the greater area has suffered very little harm.
91
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
September 1-Vic Shirk has threshed one hundred and thirty-five bush- els of wheat from four and a quarter acres, and W. A. Kitzberger, a short distance east of Carroll, has threshed two and a half acres that had been stacked separately and the stack yielded one hundred and three bushels of as fine number one wheat as was ever made into flour. The wheat raised on the Kitzberger farm took the first premium at the Iowa state fair at Cedar Rapids.
September 19-The Carroll County Normal institute has adjourned after a session of two weeks. Eighty-seven teachers were in attendance. The institute was in charge of Superintendent Hinman.
September 20-The Maple Valley branch is now through to Ida Grove and trains run regularly between the latter point and Maple River Junc- tion. Good towns are springing up along the line and at each one a com- fortable station house has been erected. At Breda, two large buildings intended for mercantile purposes are up. At Wall Lake there are ten buildings, including the Wayne warehouse, which is receiving and ship- ping grain. There is a great rivalry between Wall Lake and Odebolt, as to which will take the lead. The former is now ahead. At Ida Grove seven or eight buildings are up or in process of erection in the new town and it is probable that in due time all of the old town will be moved over.
September 26-The Independent Greenback convention met last Sat- urday and nominated the following ticket: Auditor, C. E. Morris ; sheriff. W. A. Welker, superintendent, W. F. Steigerwalt; surveyor, J. I. Ferron ; coroner, E. M. Betzer; supervisors, C. V. B. Smith, and Richard Wolfe. The conference of the Methodist church has appointed Rev. J. C. Eckles to the Carroll charge and C. W. Stewart to Carrollton. The Glidden congre- gation is to be supplied.
October 3-The dedication of the Mt. Carmel cemetery has been sol- emnized. Services were conducted by Rev. John F. Brazill of Des Moines, assisted by Rev. Father Schulte of Dubuque, and Rev. Fathers Pape and Fendrick of Carroll county. After the dedication a celebration was held in Kniest's grove. A prize was voted to Father Fendrick of Mt. Carmel, as the most popular priest.
November 8 At the recent election O. H. Manning was elected repre- sentative; H. E. Russell, auditor ; P. M. Guthrie. treasurer ; L. Bechler. sheriff ; Peter Smith, coroner ; H. W. Bean, county superintendent ; L. Mc- Curdy, surveyor ; Oliver Horton and P. J. Koenig, supervisors.
November 21-Arrangements have been perfected for a temporary union between the Congregational and Presbyterian societies of Carroli looking to a permanent union in the future. The two congregations will continue under the pastorate charge of Rev. G. W. Palmer, and the services will be held in the Presbyterian church.
December 5-Ebenezer Evans, of Newton township, reports the mys- terious disappearance of his child, a boy of nine years. The little fellow had been sent out by his father to watch some cattle feeding not far from the house. Not returning, he began to fear that he was lost and com- menced searching for him. For several days the citizens of that locality
92
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
scoured the country surrounding and examined every foot, but found not the slightest trace of the missing child. Some think he was eaten by wolves and others that the body will yet be found.
December II-The mystery concerning the disappearance of little Reese Evans has been cleared up by the finding of his body by John H. Conners, a neighbor. In driving along the road Conners saw a boy's cap, and a short search discovered the body lying in a furrow face down, with the face frozen in the ice. The day after the lad disappeared two inches of snow fell and the weather was cold, thus hiding the body, which was found not over forty rods from the father's house.
December 12-Glidden was awakened by a fire in the wagon shop of Henry Messersmith, north from the depot two blocks. The shop and wagon shop and residence of Messersmith burned first, with a loss of $2,000. Eaton's furniture store was also burned, with a loss of $2,000. Following this, the hardware store of Anselme & Co., was destroyed, with a loss of $1,200. It is believed the fire was the work of an incendiary.
December 31-The record of the month of December deserves to be preserved as remarkable in many respects. The thermometer has ranged well up to sixty degrees during a greater part of nearly every day. Showers were both heavy and frequent, and the weather would have done very com- fortably for the latter part of April. Buds started, flowers sprung up anew from the roots and a general spring-like appearance of things was the result. The frost was all out of the ground before the middle of the month and farmers succeeded in doing considerable plowing. The roads are sim- ply impassable.
1878.
January 17-Geo. E. Russell, near Arcadia, has much ground for the opinion that farming pays. Six years ago he bought two hundred and forty acres of land for less than $10 per acre, which to-day is worth $25. Last year he farmed 200 acres with the assistance of one hired hand, and raised 1,500 bushels of No. I wheat, 4,000 bushels of corn, 170 bushels of barley, besides oats, vegetables, etc. He has marketed twenty-one head of fat hogs, with seventy-five shoats to keep over and start out the year, with twenty-five head of hogs. His year's work figures up $2,171 in produce sold from his farm. He figures that his expenses for the year has been $420.
January 23-Joe M. Drees has disposed of his store at Mt. Carmel to Mr. Keffeler, who will take possession at once. Mr. Drees will remove to Carroll and engage in business.
February 17-The new German Presbyterian church in Wheatland township, six miles north of Arcadia, was dedicated to-day, the services being conducted by Rev. Mr. Elfeld, of Fremont, Illinois.
March 3-At the city election, William Gilley was elected mayor ; A. E. Smith, recorder, and J. W. King, assessor. The following councilmen were chosen : R. Hamilton, J. E. Thompson, N. Beiter, John McAllister, D. A. Cudworth. Four of the five members of the council came from the south side. A very light vote was polled.
93
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
March 6-On the 6th inst. a prairie fire destroyed considerable property for Henry Thomas, of Newton township. The fire came from the west so suddenly it was impossible to do anything to stop it. His two horses were in the stable, which caught fire, and while one made its escape, the other was burned to death. A wagon and harness and other agricultural property and a quantity of hay and corn were also destroyed. Mr. Thomas was badly burned.
With eggs at eight cents per dozen and ham selling from ten to twelve cents per pound, the favorite American dish of ham and eggs should be popular just now.
March 7-Susan B. Anthony lectured at the Presbyterian church on "Woman Wants Bread, Not the Ballot." Miss Anthony scolded Francis Murphy, the temperance lecturer, and all of her remarks were caustic. She shows the ravages of time in appearance.
March 13-The financial condition of the community has improved during the last year, and on the whole business at Carroll is encouraging. There is every indication that immigration which has already commenced will steadily increase. Thousands of acres of prairie will be broken this summer, and the amount of land tilled will exceed that of any previous year.
March 27-Eight years ago John K. Deal owned a small quantity of maple seed which he planted in his lots in Carroll. This spring he thinned out the trees from this seed to clear up his ground and realized several cords of wood. The trees are from four to six inches in diameter, and from twenty to thirty feet high.
April 21-Sunday morning Carroll was aroused by a gale of wind which inflicted serious consequences. Chimneys were blown down, side- walks torn up, and light buildings were overturned. The most serious damage was done to the Catholic church building, in process of construc- tion. The frame was up and partially enclosed and the framework of the large tower was completed to a height of thirty or forty feet. The wind played havoc with the whole structure. The end and two sides were forced out and fell to the ground, and the tower fell directly backward into the building, crushing all the small timbers before it. It will be neces- sary to take it all to pieces and a large quantity of the lumber will of necessity be rejected, and the work will have to commence over again from the beginning. The loss is from $600 to $800, which will fall upon the congregation, as the fault was not that of the contractors.
On the evening of the same day many heard a roaring distinctly re- sembling the noise of a distant train, and shortly after 9 o'clock the report reached Carroll that a tornado had visited Wall Lake, destroying a number of houses, and killing and wounding a great many people. A special train was sent down from that town to Maple River Junction, and a loud call was made for surgeons. Dr. Dunkle of Glidden and Drs. Lane and Wright of Carroll answered the call and upon their arrival found that the reports were greatly exaggerated, the town having escaped with little if any injury. A small house near the town occupied by a German family had been en-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.